Dukat's "initials" (S.G.), as stated in the episode "A Time to Stand" ("Permanent Documentation File, Dukat, S.G."), may in fact indicate a type of rank as opposed to his initials, such as "Supreme General" or "Station Gul", as he was in command of Terok Nor at the time of this recording. See notes below for more information.

Contents

One of Dukat's first assignments was as a newly minted glinn aboard the Kornaire. Among his tasks as a glinn was cleaning out a compartment where three men had gone through an explosive decompression, after which he could not sleep for a week. (DS9: "Waltz") At some point prior to being stationed on Bajor, Dukat was a legate, but he lost favor with Cardassian Central Command and was reduced to the rank of Gul. (DS9: "Indiscretion") He later rejected the title of legate because he felt Gul was more "hands on." (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

According to Dukat, he was convinced that a gentler approach was needed to quell the Bajoran Resistance and make Bajor suitable for colonization. His first act as prefect was to cut labor camp output quotas by fifty percent, abolish child labor, and improve medical care and food rations. These measures led to a twenty percent drop in the camp death rates. However, the Resistance repaid him by destroying an orbital drydock on his one-month anniversary, killing two hundred Cardassians. During the Occupation, the Resistance attempted to assassinate Dukat five times, all of them unsuccessful. Dukat grew to hate the Bajorans for not acknowledging his "compassion" towards them. (DS9: "Things Past", "Waltz")

Despite his latter admission of hatred for his charges, he conducted numerous affairs with Bajoran women, including Kira Meru, mother of Kira Nerys, and Tora Naprem, whom he claimed to love and with whom he fathered a daughter, Tora Ziyal. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night") The general implication is that, in Dukat's inner fantasies, he wanted the Bajoran people to embrace him as their superior and beloved master. In microcosm, he enjoyed indulging this fantasy by manipulating Bajoran comfort women into falling in love with him, as if they represented all Bajorans. (DS9: "Waltz")

In the original version of "Waltz", the circumstances surrounding Dukat's romance with Tora Naprem would have been explored in a fantasy scenario which would have revealed "why it was a twisted relationship," in the words of "Waltz" writer Ronald D. Moore. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 521)

While prefect, Dukat reported to Legate Kell regularly; however, he did not have the respect from Kell that he was led to believe. Dukat created a counter-insurgency program to combat potential worker revolts on Terok Nor, but Kell secretly added a level to it in case Dukat tried to flee. The automated program was set to deal with various situations, the most severe of which was a complete takeover of the station. In the event that this happened, the program could initiate an auto-destruct sequence, and if Dukat tried to transport off the station while this sequence was in effect, his access codes would be nullified and he would be doomed to die with his station. (DS9: "Civil Defense")

Dukat strongly opposed the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, a move which damaged his career due to the politicians, such as Kotan Pa'Dar, as it occurred during Dukat's administration. During the evacuation and after a bombing, he had one of his female officers take Pa'Dar's son, Rugal, to an orphanage to, at some point, be used to humiliate Pa'Dar. After the withdrawal, Dukat became the commander of the Second Order. He played a major role in many interactions between the Cardassian military and the Federation for the next three years, and made several visits to his former command post, Deep Space 9, under various circumstances. (DS9: "Cardassians")

Later that year, Dukat accompanied Kira Nerys to Dozaria to find the wreck of the Ravinok, a transport ship that had been lost several years earlier with Dukat's mistress, Tora Naprem, and his half-Bajoran daughter, Tora Ziyal, aboard. Dukat had initially intended to kill both Ziyal and Naprem, had they survived. However, after he found his daughter alive in a Breen mining camp on Dozaria, he decided to take her with him back to Cardassia, despite the effect it would have on his career. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

After he returned with Ziyal, Dukat was demoted and given command of a small freighter, the Groumall. His family disowned him, his wife and children left him, and both he and Ziyal were shunned by Cardassian society. The Groumall transported Kira Nerys to the outpost at Korma in 2372. After finding the outpost destroyed, Dukat and Kira were able to capture the Klingon Bird-of-Prey responsible. Dukat urged the Detapa Council to use his captured intelligence to mount a new offensive against the Klingons, but they rejected his proposal, preferring to seek a diplomatic option. (DS9: "Return to Grace")

Disgusted with the Detapa Council's unwillingness to fight, Dukat began to carry on his own one-ship war against the Klingons. In 2373, he and his ship helped an undercover Starfleet team, led by Sisko, to infiltrate Klingon military headquarters on Ty'Gokor to expose a Changeling. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

By 2373, Dukat became convinced that the only way to regain Cardassia's former glory was for them to join the Dominion. In secret talks, he negotiated Cardassia's entry into the Dominion with himself as ruler. Dukat promised to the Cardassian people that under his leadership, all that Cardassia lost would be regained. His move was initially celebrated by most Cardassians, who had suffered defeat and humiliation for years at the hands of the Federation and Klingons. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light") Dukat chose not to promote himself back to legate, since he saw the rank of gul as more "hands-on." (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water") One of Dukat's first acts was to have his Dominion allies release all surviving Cardassians from Internment Camp 371 with one exception – Elim Garak, who had not only killed Dukat's father but had also fallen in love with Tora Ziyal. (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

In the months after his taking office, Dukat made good on his promises by expelling the Klingons from Cardassian space and wiping out the Maquis with his newly gained Dominion allies. Dukat commanded the Dominion forces which retook Terok Nor from the Federation in late 2373. In the following weeks, Dukat directed the Dominion War from his old command, winning many early victories against the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Bringing in Dominion reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant by re-opening the Bajoran wormhole was to be his greatest triumph. (DS9: "Call to Arms", "A Time to Stand")

However, victory was snatched from his grasp when the Dominion reinforcements were eliminated by the Prophets. As allied forces retook the station during Operation Return, Dukat – driven half-mad by his rapid change of fortune – descended into insanity after the murder of his beloved daughter Ziyal by Damar, his second-in-command. He refused to evacuate with the rest of the Dominion forces, and was captured by Starfleet. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels")

Afterward, Dukat began suffering from hallucinations and fits of paranoia, and was treated by Federation doctors. After he was declared "recovered," Dukat was to be taken to a Special Jury at Starbase 621 aboard the USS Honshu to stand trial for war crimes, but the Honshu was intercepted by Cardassian warships. Dukat escaped to a nearby planet in a shuttlecraft with his nemesis, Benjamin Sisko. Dukat's hallucinations returned, and he attempted to kill Sisko before escaping in the shuttle. During his time on the planet, Dukat embraced his hatred for the Bajoran people, promising to one day return and rain destruction on all of Bajor. Even more than before, his actions became increasingly proactively evil. (DS9: "Waltz")

"Everyone has their reasons. That's what's so frightening. People can find a way to justify any action, no matter how evil."

- Kira Nerys

In late 2374, Dukat believed he had found a way to destroy the Bajoran people and their Emissary, Sisko. Having immersed himself in the ancient Bajoran texts, he discovered that the wormhole was actually the Celestial Temple. He returned to Cardassia Prime and enacted an ancient Bajoran ritual to release a Pah-wraith into his body. Thus possessed, he traveled to Deep Space 9 and released it into the Celestial Temple via the Orb of Contemplation, causing the wormhole to disappear. In the process, Dukat killed Jadzia Dax, who was simply in his way. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")

His inhabitation by the Pah-wraith had turned Dukat into their believer; subsequently, he retreated to station Empok Nor and founded a community of members from the Cult of the Pah-wraiths. He was worshiped as a messiah, and fathered another half-Bajoran child, with Mika. Dukat never publicly admitted fatherhood. He instead tried to kill Mika, then attempted to have the cult members commit suicide to conceal his attempt to kill her. When he was exposed, Dukat fled again. (DS9: "Covenant")

Falling into the flames of the Fire Caves on Bajor

In late 2375, Dukat secretly underwent cosmetic surgery on Cardassia Prime to pose as a Bajoran farmer, Anjohl Tennan. He then traveled to Deep Space 9 and gained the confidence of KaiWinn Adami and even became romantically involved with her – albeit for ulterior motives – and with the assistance of false visions given to Winn by the Pah-wraiths, he slowly convinced her to join him as a follower of the Pah-wraiths. During the Occupation, just after the Great Famine, Anjohl Tennan was one of a hundred Bajorans due to be executed by Gul Dukat's orders as a public example after the Bajoran Resistance destroyed the outpost in Relliketh. Winn, who was a ranjen at the time, had bribed the pilot of Anjohl's transport, Prenar, to "accidentally" misread his orders and divert his prisoners to a labor camp. Dukat later retold this story to Winn to further gain her trust. (DS9: "'Til Death Do Us Part")

Along with Winn, Dukat plotted to release the Pah-wraiths from their prison in the Fire Caves, using the Book of the Kosst Amojan. After Solbor eventually discovered what had happened to the real Anjohl Tennan, Dukat's true identity was exposed by Solbor, but he was in turn killed by Winn. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

Dukat accompanied Winn into the Fire Caves, where Winn poisoned Dukat as a sacrifice to complete the release ritual. However, the Pah-wraiths rejected Winn and chose Dukat as their Emissary, restoring him to life, returning his Cardassian features, and imbuing him with their power. After Dukat killed Winn, Sisko plunged himself and Dukat into the fires, which destroyed the book and trapped Dukat forever in the prison with the Pah-wraiths. Sisko himself was rescued by the Prophets. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "What You Leave Behind")

This article or section is incompleteThis page is marked as lacking essential detail, and needs attention. Information regarding expansion requirements may be found on the article's talk page. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.

Dukat claimed to be married and have seven children with his wife. At one point in 2371, Dukat expressed regrets about missing the eleventh birthday of his son Mekor. However, he apparently abandoned these supposed family members when he found his daughter Ziyal. Furthermore, he also kept several Bajoran mistresses when he was Prefect on Terok Nor during the Bajoran Occupation. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I", "Defiant", "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

Dukat's wife and their seven offspring were never seen. The idea of establishing Dukat as having seven children was thought up by Michael Piller; the children were mentioned by him in a rewrite he did of "The Maquis, Part I". Because it was humanizing the antagonistic Dukat, Behr initially asked Piller if he was certain he wanted to include the reference. ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Dukat voicing annoyance over having to be absent from Mekor's birthday, in "Defiant", was an attempt to essentially humanize the character (actually as part of efforts to soften him in the third and fourth seasons) during a lengthy search for the USS Defiant with Benjamin Sisko. "I wanted a moment in that scene where we see that Dukat has better things to do than participate in this particular mission," stated Ronald D. Moore. "That he has some humanity and a life outside of that war room–and that this kind of sucks for him too. He's not getting any joy out of what they're doing." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 190) Dukat actor Marc Alaimo approved of the writers having gone some way toward humanizing Dukat by giving him a family. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 44)

Midway through DS9 Season 2, Marc Alaimo admitted he personally wanted the character to "have a real love interest." The performer went on to say, "That would be cool. You could go any way with that. You could have him be attracted to a humanoid person and see where that would take us [....] How people react to him is really interesting. I think people regard him as a very powerful presence and they're attracted to him in a very strange way." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 49-50)

In DS9 Season 5, Marc Alaimo voiced an interest in Dukat having more relationships with a more varied mix of other characters, the actor commenting, "I would like to do more of that kind of thing, work more with the different characters." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 38)

Dukat had a strange relationship with Benjamin Sisko, who was in many ways his counterpart and opposite. Dukat saw Sisko as a friend and viewed him with a great deal of respect, although that view was not shared by Sisko. However, after Dukat realized his hatred for the Bajorans and made his promise to destroy Bajor, he and Sisko became mortal enemies. They eventually confronted one another one last time in the Fire Caves. (DS9: "Waltz", "What You Leave Behind")

Regarding Dukat's connection with Sisko, Marc Alaimo once remarked, "I liked that he felt Sisko was an equal who gave him respect. They had a mutual understanding of sorts as these two strong presences." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

While "Waltz" was under development, noticing that Dukat's relations with Sisko seemed, at least to the DS9 writing staff, to be working compelled the writers to concentrate the episode on that relationship, causing them to become marooned together. Ronald D. Moore referred to Dukat, in those circumstances, as "a madman who is perfectly capable of killing [Sisko]." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 47) In an early version of the episode's script, Dukat threatened Sisko he would "learn what it's like to lose a child," rather than threatening the annihilation of Bajor and its inhabitants, instead implying that Dukat intended to kill Sisko's son, Jake. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 522)

Turning Dukat into the leader of the Cult of the Pah-wraiths in DS9: "Covenant" appeared as if it would influence his relationship with Sisko. "Somehow it seemed like it was going to help us put him into conflict with Sisko," reflected René Echevarria. Indeed, at the time "Covenant" was written, Dukat's clash with Sisko was the only thing the DS9 writing staff knew they wanted to feature at the end of the Cardassian's character arc. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 632)

Dukat's closest friend was Damar, who served under him when he commanded the transport ship and later the stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey and was his adjutant during his time as leader of the Cardassian Union. Dukat found Damar "useful" and despite the fact it was Damar who shot and killed his daughter, he later forgave Damar and came to him for help in his plan to release the Pah-Wraiths, even encouraging him to once again become the brave man he had fought with years before. (DS9: "Return to Grace", "Sacrifice of Angels", "Penumbra")

The relevant pair of actors spoke about Dukat's somewhat uneasy alliance with Weyoun. Said Marc Alaimo, "Dukat wants to flick [Weyoun] [...] off if he can." Weyoun actor Jeffrey Combs commented, "Gul Dukat and Weyoun are such an interesting contrast, because he's all testosterone, and the Vortas are very gentle and pleasant cobras." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 45 & 61) Combs elaborated, "What's very interesting about that dynamic is that he [Dukat] perceives himself as being the one in control, having to deal with me, and I see the absolute opposite [....] After all, he wouldn't be there at all if it weren't for the Dominion. So it makes for a great dynamic tension, because he sees it his way, and I see it my way, Dukat is Dukat and it's an unfortunate marriage, but you have to make do with what you have." Combs also suspected, while interviewed at the end of DS9 Season 6, that Dukat, together with Damar, would turn against Weyoun. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, pp. 68-69)

Dukat had a deep-seated personal hatred of Garak, stemming largely from the death of his father. As an agent of the Obsidian Order, Garak tortured and killed Dukat's father, though the reason for the arrest and interrogation is never mentioned. Dukat used those events to try to dissuade his daughter Ziyal from her relationship with Garak. (DS9: "For the Cause") This relationship with Dukat's daughter only strengthened his animosity toward Garak, driving Dukat to nearly kill him in Quark's Bar in 2373. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow") When Dukat commanded Terok Nor, he made at least one attempt to have Garak executed but failed, which Garak later pointed out to Dukat's chagrin. (DS9: "Civil Defense")

Even after a reason for the bitterness between Dukat and Garak was revealed in "For the Cause", Marc Alaimo considered Dukat's relationship with Garak as having "never been defined," at the end of DS9 Season 5. Alaimo additionally suspected they would have a fight, though Garak would have to return to the station if they were to engage in battle. Initially speaking directly from the viewpoint of Dukat, the actor speculated, "I'll kick his ass if he does. Or maybe he'll end up doing Dukat in. Who knows?" Garak actor Andrew Robinson was entirely uncertain whether Dukat would indeed combat Garak. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 46 & 58)

In the years after the Occupation, Dukat and Kira Nerys crossed paths many times.

Marc Alaimo believed the character had a long-standing attraction to Kira Nerys. "I think Dukat has kind of always wanted to flirt with her," he said. "Because of their history, that's pretty far-fetched." Alaimo speculated that, if Kira could ever get past their history, Dukat could become very interested in a romantic relationship between them. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52) As it turned out, Alaimo approved of Dukat's fascination with Kira. "I liked that he had this huge crush on Kira," he remarked. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

Dukat was fascinated by Kira. Indeed, Dukat hinted on several occasions that he was romantically interested in her, referring to her as a "fascinating woman." Dukat complimented Kira on her talents and skills more than once, much to her disgust. He seemed to be determined to win Kira's respect and acknowledgement as a sort of vindication from his past actions. At times, however, both seemed to enjoy each other's company, to an extent, and were able to work together when it was required. For example, Dukat joined Kira on a mission to find the transport ship Ravinok; the two successfully located remaining crew members from that vessel and worked out a plan to rescue the prisoners. Dukat was also persuaded by Kira into sparing his illegitimate half-Bajoran daughter, Ziyal, and accepting her into his life. (DS9: "Indiscretion")

Ira Steven Behr believed that, in "Indiscretion", Dukat's relationship with Kira was dealt with in an "interesting" way and that the two performers playing those roles "worked very well together." ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4) In the same episode, the writing staff of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine took the relationship to a closer level than before, though decidedly not a romantic one. "[The perceived potential for romance] was always more about Dukat than Kira," noted Robert Hewitt Wolfe. Explained Behr, "I think it's only in Dukat's mind that there was any hope of a relationship. And maybe in Marc Alaimo's mind. Certainly Kira never thought so, and certainly we never thought so. But Marc was so insistent in playing that hope in the way he treated her that it became a fun thing to follow up on, although we knew there was no way in hell that it would ever happen." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 275)

Additionally, when Dukat's ship transported Kira to a conference, the two enjoyed a meal together and subsequently collaborated to stop a group of Klingons operating behind Cardassian borders. Seeing that his new life of terrorism against the Klingons was not a good one for his daughter, Dukat allowed Kira to take Ziyal back to DS9 with her. This development pleased Dukat because he and Kira now had something in common. (DS9: "Return to Grace") Given this somewhat mother-like role he perceived Kira having for his daughter, Dukat blamed her when he discovered Ziyal had become romantically involved with Garak. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

While developing "Return to Grace", it was important to the DS9 writing staff that they take another step in furthering Dukat's relationship with Kira Nerys and turning it "on its head a little bit," as phrased by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. The writers did this by making Dukat become more like Kira, as he starts being a kind of freedom fighter in "Return to Grace". The writing staff didn't ensure, though, that their relationship was equal in that installment. "As the episode took form and became real, we realized that we had thrown the episode a little bit too much toward Dukat and away from Kira," stated Ira Steven Behr. "Dukat had all the major decisions." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 113-114)

In DS9 Season 5, Dukat was again made despicable, with both the viewers and Kira allowed to hate him. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 138) When Dukat was made villainous again, Marc Alaimo didn't want the character's relations with Kira to come to an end. Rather, he hoped the series would continue to explore "the whole thing he's got with Kira, this great crush. In spite of everything that's taking place, and how much she hates him, he keeps after her," commented Alaimo. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 46)

Dukat and Kira's relationship took on a much darker tone during the Dominion War, when Dukat took over as commander of Dominion-occupied DS9. He made a few rather obvious advances towards Kira, which she rebuffed with disgust. (citation needed • edit)

As originally conceived, a fantasy scenario imagined by Dukat in "Waltz" would have featured Kira as his wife, while he was once again in charge of the space station. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 521)

The writing of "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night" started with the notion of putting more stress on Dukat's relationship with Kira. "We asked ourselves, 'How can we take Gul Dukat and bond him closer to Kira in a way that would just make her insane?" remembered Ira Steven Behr. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 547) The answer was showing Dukat's connection with Kira was affected by his bond with her mother. "We thought it was an interesting place to take their relationship," Behr continued, "and it helped to explain part of this total fascination that Dukat has with the Major." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 53)

Later, after he had become a disciple of the Pah-Wraiths, Dukat had Kira kidnapped to Empok Nor. There, he tried in vain to convince her to join the Cult of the Pah-Wraiths community he had established on the station. (DS9: "Covenant")

Kira Meru was one of Dukat's comfort women on Terok Nor during the Bajoran Occupation, with whom he fell in love and was involved for seven years before her death in 2353. Years later, Dukat developed an attraction to Meru's daughter, Kira Nerys, the first officer of Deep Space Nine. (DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

The idea of Dukat being romantically involved with Kira Meru, prior to its depiction onscreen, wasn't an intention of the DS9 writing staff over a long stretch of time. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 59) The writers actually devised Dukat's involvement in this romance as a way to frustrate Kira Nerys. Bradley Thompson recalled, "We asked ourselves, 'What if Dukat had been making it with Kira's mother?'" After consulting the Star Trek Encyclopedia to ensure the idea chronologically fit with the events which had already been established, the writers went ahead with depicting the relationship. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 547)

Towards the end of the Occupation, Dukat fell in love with another Bajoran woman, Tora Naprem, and the two had a daughter named Tora Ziyal. Dukat sent the pair away to Lissepia in 2366, though their ship was shot down by the Breen on Dozaria. Ziyal survived and was forced to labor in a Breen dilithium mine until Dukat rescued her in 2372. Tradition demanded that he kill her, but Dukat couldn't bring himself to do so, so he took her back to Cardassia Prime with him, whereupon he was severely ostracized. His wife and children left him and his mother disowned him. (DS9: "Indiscretion", "Return to Grace")

When Dukat became a terrorist in the Klingon-Cardassian War, he sent Ziyal to live on Deep Space 9 under the care of Kira, with whom she had formed a close relationship. (DS9: "Return to Grace") During the first Dominion offensive, Ziyal helped Kira and others in their efforts to sabotage the station and get it back into Federation hands. After the Dominion was forced to abandon DS9, Damar overheard Ziyal admit that she'd helped Kira and the other saboteurs escape and killed her before Dukat's eyes, declaring her a traitor. She died in Dukat's arms, an experience that left him deeply scarred and, together with the defeat in battle, was the beginning of his downward spiral into madness. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels") He subsequently spent many months under the psychological care of Federation doctors, often calling out Ziyal's name. (DS9: "Waltz")

Marc Alaimo once observed that, in any given episode, Dukat never had very much to do with Ziyal, an aspect of their relationship which the actor found "interesting." He cited "Indiscretion" as the installment he thought features the most involvement between them. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

The degree to which Dukat truly cared about Ziyal is unclear. "He loved Ziyal," posited Ira Steven Behr, "but like the true sociopathic personality he is, he wasn't above using her, or lying to her." Hans Beimler disagreed, "It's not that he really loves her. He feels guilt about her. Guilt!" Clearly passionate about the subject, Beimler emphasized his point by slapping the surface of his desk. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 495)

This article or section is incompleteThis page is marked as lacking essential detail, and needs attention. Information regarding expansion requirements may be found on the article's talk page. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.

Ira Steven Behr believed Dukat's relationship with Winn was a logical step in him becoming increasingly involved in Bajoran religion. Bradley Thompson stated, "Putting Dukat and Winn together gave us so much to play with." He also declared, "The idea of Dukat wooing Kai Winn appealed to us on a very twisted level." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 686-687)

Though Winn's deeds include killing a fellow Bajoran in "The Changing Face of Evil", Ira Steven Behr held the opinion that Dukat continued to be more "tainted" than her. Regarding the Cardassian's place in the relationship, Behr went on to comment, "Dukat is still the master, the manipulator, the liar." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 690)

"Still calling yourself 'Gul'? I'm surprised you haven't promoted yourself back to legate by now.""I prefer the title 'Gul'; so much more hands-on than Legate. And less pretentious than the other alternatives: President, Emperor, First Minister... Emissary."

Dukat's initials (S.G.) come from the DS9 Season 6 opener "A Time to Stand", in which Dukat records a permanent documentation file identifying himself as "Dukat, S.G." Though it is possible that it stands for "Station Gul", Ronald D. Moore jokingly gave Dukat's first name as "Elmo" on several occasions. (AOL chat,1997) Moore further commented, "The initials probably represent some rank or association or achievement (like Ph.d, or A.S.C., or J.D.)." (AOL chat,1997)

In the first draft script of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot episode "Emissary", Dukat is introduced by being described as "a most intimidating figure." Another description of him, from the same page of the first draft, states, "He is overly cordial as classic bullies can be." In the script's final draft, the pronunciation guide spells the name "du-KOT". Additionally, the same script draft includes the description of Dukat as "overly cordial," though not the detail about him being "most intimidating." [1]

Marc Alaimo was not the first choice to play Dukat. For "Emissary", another actor was cast in the role. After a day's shooting, however, the producers decided they had miscast, so they asked Alaimo to come in and take over the role. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) He brought a prominent theater background to the part. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 52)

Marc Alaimo highly valued the opportunities to play Dukat, referring to the character as "a good role." He continued, "I really like Dukat. I try to deal with him very objectively. I like him to walk the line, if you know what I mean. I don't want him to be one-dimensionally evil and I don't want him to be goody two-shoes, either. I want him to be a rational, intelligent Cardassian [....] I try to play him closer to that. I don't think of Dukat as a villain at all. I think he does things his way. He's used to a Cardassian rhythm where things are not questioned and people do as they're told. That's interesting. I like that. As long as the writers keep him interesting, I'll keep playing him. I think the writers like him, too [....] There's a tremendous sensuality to the character, don't you think?" Alaimo didn't base his performance as Dukat on anyone in particular. Neither did he create a back story for the character, mostly leaving it up to the writers to do so. Of course, the actor did, however, add certain qualities to the portrayal. The performer added, "I have tried to instill a little bit of softness into him, a little playfulness [....] I would like to keep instilling little things to which people can relate and show his different dimensions." The character's flexibility was what Alaimo loved about the part. "I can have him do anything," Alaimo remarked. "He doesn't have to be mean. I can try to instill that softness and playfulness into him." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 49 & 50) Not thinking of Dukat as a villain whatsoever, Alaimo considered the character more of an opportunist. ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) The actor elaborated, "I've tried to play him with some sort of sensitivity. I could have gone one-dimensionally aggressive and mean and ugly with this character if I'd chosen to. I have the feeling that's what they kind of wanted. I thought, 'I've done that a hundred and fifty times already.' So I wanted to give him some dimension, some depth, and I think it's worked very well [....] I think Gul Dukat even thinks that a lot of what his race does is evil. He understands the difference. Then again, in war – in a fight – Gul Dukat is unbeatable. He won't stop until he wins, and that's the Cardassian philosophy [....] But when he's not in that situation [of war], I would think he's a very reasonable, sensitive and thinking Cardassian." Alaimo found Dukat very unpredictable, because the producers of DS9 didn't communicate with him very often and the character itself seemed highly unstable to him. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51-52) The actor remarked about Dukat, "You never know quite if he's going to be aggressive, if he's going to be sensitive, if he's going to be passive, you never quite know which way he's going to go. That's what I love about him. Originally when first I started doing this, I could have taken a very one dimensional point of view about this character, and just played him. 'I'm going to rip your arms and legs off and eat them, right in front of you.' I could have done that. It would have been easy. But I began to see little interesting things about him, to give him texture and some different colors, and something people could really relate to. It's all turned out very well. I think he's really turned into a very interesting character [....] A lot of people assume that I am bad, that I am a heavy on the show, and I don't think so at all. If [Dukat] is pushed into the corner he can get real mean. That's part of his nature [....] So Dukat's a fighter. But he's fair, he's sensitive, he's intelligent, he's reasonable." While playing Dukat, Alaimo particularly liked the character's use of language and the opportunities which the series allowed for dealing with extremely mature topics. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51 & 52) "Plus I think he's sexy – there's a romantic inside of him," the performer said. "I'm trying to be objective. I don't think of myself in those terms. But it's fun to look at him and say, he's a sexy Cardassian. He's cool [....] He's an opportunist. He aligns himself with what is convenient at the moment, but I don't think he's a psychopath, or capable of mindless evil [....] He's got power and he's not afraid to use it, plus he's charming, he's all these other things [....] I'm enamored by Dukat. I wish I could be more like him [....] I enjoy, I love this character." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 44 & 45) In 2003, Alaimo commented on his portrayal of Dukat, "I thought the character was terrific. It was one of the first times I'd been able to really sort of expand a multifaceted character like that, instead of one dimensional, which is I think the way they wanted to go with Dukat in the beginning, but I started to sort of branch off emotionally, and they picked up on it, and they gave me all these wonderful multifaceted character moments. I was pretty proud of my work throughout the whole seven years of it." (Hidden File 01, DS9 Season 7 DVD special features)

To prepare for assuming the role of Dukat, Marc Alaimo routinely had to endure several hours in which makeup was applied to him and he was fitted into his Cardassian costume. Wearing the Dukat makeup was no problem for Alaimo, as he had many years' experience with such makeup for stage productions. (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, pp. 50 & 51) "Dukat is hard to schedule, because I put in long hours," he admitted. "I've had to be there at two o'clock in the morning, in the beginning [....] I remember being at the studio at two o'clock in the morning. Nobody's there. I liked that though [....] I had to be there so early to be on the set when they started shooting, at six or seven [....] It used to be a scheduling problem with Dukat, because they have to give actors twelve hours turnarounds [twelve hours off]. They couldn't do it with me oftentimes because of the makeup." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53)

Ira Steven Behr was impressed by Marc Alaimo's approach to portraying Dukat. "What's interesting is that Marc Alaimo plays Dukat like he's the hero of the TV series," Behr commented. "You listen to Marc talk about Dukat, and it's totally different than I see the character, but he brings that to it and adds a whole other level to it." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 107) Behr clarified, "In Dukat's mind, Dukat is the hero of every episode he appears in." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 10) On the other hand, Behr said, "Dukat is not a nice man. He is not a sensitive man. He likes to act like a sensitive man, but he's a man of appetites to whom public image is very important, much more important than the truth [....] I find him reprehensible myself." Behr also found Dukat was a fascinating character to structure episodes around. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308) "He's a Nazi, folks!" Behr exclaimed. "He's not a good German. He's a Nazi. Alaimo is the shining example of the actor who's trying to turn his character one way and we're turning it the other, and he gives interviews about how his character would be one-dimensional if left in our hands. It's a weird thing, but he's great. He's a great Gul Dukat." Alaimo objected to Behr comparing Dukat to a Nazi, believing the statement was far too strong. ("The Producer's View" & "Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Behr also said, "Dukat is a self-deluded, opportunistic, egomaniacal sadist. In other words, he is the Richard Nixon of Deep Space Nine. He will do whatever it takes to come out on top [....] Dukat is a totally self-deluded person. He's a deeply, deeply screwed-up Cardassian who doesn't understand his own motives." Behr additionally thought Dukat's lack of self-comprehension helped differentiate the character from Benjamin Sisko, as Behr believed Sisko knew himself despite being imperfect. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 427 & 495) As for Alaimo's take on Dukat, Behr stated, "It's a great role, and he plays it like gangbusters. He's not the hero of the show, but he definitely does the job." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 46) Behr also said about the character, "I make an exception in Dukat's case. Evil may be an unclear concept in this day and age. But Dukat certainly has done evil things." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520) Additionally, Behr stated, "Alaimo truly is Gul Dukat. He takes it very seriously. He always gets a little bit upset about the places where we take the character, but then he goes off and plays him to the hilt anyway." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 59)

Several actors have made comments about Dukat. Nana Visitor said, "This was a character who was the worst people we have had on Earth, this is who this man was." (Hidden File 02, DS9 Season 6 DVD special features) Jeffrey Combs remembered about Marc Alaimo's portrayal of Dukat, "When he walked into the makeup trailer, I had no idea that this was the man who was going to transform himself into Gul Dukat. It's not so much his face, to me, it's his stature. He's certainly taller than me, but when he plays Gul Dukat to me he appears to be big, hulking, and much taller. As Gul Dukat he's even bigger and grander and he's quite impressive. He really knows that character inside and out." Reacting to these sentiments from Combs, Alaimo stated, "I think he's in awe of Dukat." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 45) Combs also remarked, "He has fleshed out that character to such a great degree." In regards to the idea Alaimo didn't portray Dukat as an evil person, Combs concluded, "Maybe that's why he's so interesting, the way he plays him." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 69)

Concerning Dukat's opinion of himself, Ronald D. Moore remarked, "Dukat is the hero of his own story. He definitely thinks that he's on the side of the angels." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520) On Dukat's role as villain, Moore has commented, "I don't think of him as being completely evil through and through to the point where every thought, every impulse is shaded by a nefarious agenda or horrid motive. We've seen other aspects to this guy over the years. He can be charming. He can be generous. He can do the right thing. All of that somehow makes his 'evil' actions all the more despicable, because we know that there was the potential in there for him to be a better person. But sometimes the clichés are true: Hitler loved his dog. No human being (and by extension, no Cardassian) is one hundred percent pure evil. But there is a 'critical mass', if you will, where the dark deeds attributed to one person become so overwhelming that they swamp all the redeeming characteristics. Dukat is a bad guy. A very bad guy. He has a lot of blood on his hands and it's hard to see how his smile and innate charm can wipe that clean." (AOL chat,1998) When Moore was asked by a member of Reddit if he regretted that the writers made Dukat into "a cartoonish super-villain" in response to fans who found him increasingly sympathetic, he responded, "I think we were all pleased with where we took Dukat, it felt like it was organic based on where the character began, who he was in the past and in the present, so I don't think we have any regrets." [2]

Dukat underwent extensive character development during DS9 Season 2. During or after that season, Ira Steven Behr commented, "It's amazing that [Cardassian Gul] Ducat started out in the beginning of the season on monitors for the most part. He was just this little head and this character has grown so much." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 25/26, No. 6/1, p. 100) Dukat's involvement in season two included two highlights for Marc Alaimo, who revealed, "I've really enjoyed it [playing the 'bad guy of the week'], particularly 'Necessary Evil' and 'The Maquis'." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 73) The use of Dukat in second season two-parter "The Maquis, Part I" and "The Maquis, Part II" gave him something of a "nice guy" image and seemed to suggest the DS9 writing staff was experimenting with the idea of making the Cardassian a more frequently recurring character. "I totally agree," stated Alaimo. "I'd rather not just keep coming back to guest. If I'm going to do the show, I'd like to be a part of the team. And I think Dukat would be a really interesting addition, because he's got so much power." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 73 & 86)

In the development of season four offering "Indiscretion", freelance writers Toni Marberry and Jack Treviño devised having Dukat seek a half-Bajoran daughter of his and draft Kira Nerys for the mission, only for him to later reveal that he was planning to kill his daughter. Although some of Dukat's rough edges were later basically blunted by the introduction of his daughter Tora Ziyal, the writing staff maintained his essential nature, never losing track of it. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 274) While the script for "Indiscretion" was being written by Nicholas Corea, he told Marc Alaimo, they having been friends for over twenty years, that the episode would heavily feature Dukat. "He said, 'It's for you.' As soon as he said that I felt good because he knew me, he knew what I was capable of doing as an actor [....] Sure enough, it turned out to be wonderful," Alaimo reminisced. "He got so many things in there, and I was able to add on to that." Alaimo did so by showing Corea something, performance-wise, which the writer hadn't known Alaimo could do. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 51) In "Indiscretion", a statement criticizing Dukat's passion for talking (specifically, Kira's line, "Captain Sisko's right; you are in love with your own voice.") was added as an in-joke regarding Cardassians in general and Dukat in particular. "No one can milk it like Marc Alaimo, even though there are times when you just want him to get on with it," related Ira Behr. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 275) The way Dukat is depicted in "Indiscretion" evoked pride in Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who rewrote the episode's script together with Behr. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 107) Behr himself felt the episode's portrayal of Dukat "ran a certain risk" of making Dukat seem too Human-like and slightly too accessible for a villain. However, Behr also thought showing another side of the character, rather than always depicting Dukat as a killer, was necessary and turned out to be "interesting." ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4)

The DS9 staff writers were pleased with how they managed to depict Dukat in subsequent fourth season outing "Return to Grace". Enthused Ira Behr, "I thought that Alaimo was terrific [....] It was just so great to put him out there." Ronald D. Moore expressed, "Turning Dukat into Captain Dukat of the Spanish main seemed like a great idea. He takes that ship and off he goes." René Echevarria commented, "It was an attempt to look at Dukat and have him realize that regaining his glory in a hollow empire isn't quite worth the undertaking. More important is getting back to his roots as a military man and being a sort of freedom fighter." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, pp. 113 & 114) Hans Beimler, who scripted "Return to Grace", observed, "In this episode, you're aware of different shades to his personality. But, if you think about it, they're all very self-serving." Ira Behr likened part of Dukat's attitude in the installment to that of Sioux leader Sitting Bull, because Dukat defiantly referring to himself as the last Cardassian echoes a statement Sitting Bull made, when he was the only Sioux who didn't agree to a treaty with the white-skinned settlers of the United States. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 308) Ira Behr felt this inspiration was important to developing Dukat, as Behr meanwhile wanted to make the character a lone hero. "That's what I had in my mind for Dukat at that point," said Behr, "with 'Return to Grace' and 'Indiscretion' and stuff like that." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

Marc Alaimo approved of the way Dukat is depicted in "Return to Grace". "The fact that they had Dukat going off to be a pirate who captured this Klingon ship, I found very exciting [....] He was very heroic." Though "Return to Grace" features a scene in which Dukat debates with Kira about whether his motivation for fighting the Klingons is a selfish urge for redemption or a genuine love of the Cardassians and a desire to protect them, Alaimo clarified, "He loves his people and wants to stop the Klingons. He wants to go out and get them." The actor went on to state, "I loved those moments when he finally took charge of the ship and also when he realized he was not going to get help from Cardassia to track down the Klingon killers, but that they simply wanted him to come back and take some post. [Putting Dukat in a situation where] he was very disappointed and decided to take on the Klingons himself [...] was a wonderful scenario." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Alaimo further enthused, "I love that. That's someone saying, 'I'll stand by myself,' and then suddenly people start gathering around him and saying 'We're with you.' It's Robin Hood, it's a heroic character." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 46)

In fact, Marc Alaimo liked appearing as Dukat in both "Indiscretion" and "Return to Grace", listing the two episodes in that order of preference (followed by the "The Maquis" two-parter). ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) "[Dukat] had so much to do, and so much to feel, so many transitions to make emotionally," the actor said. "Those two really defined him so much more." From the time when "Return to Grace" was produced until the end of DS9 Season 4, none of the series' producers contacted Alaimo. In fact, at the end of the fourth season, he had never seen Executive Producer Rick Berman in all the time Alaimo had been playing the role of Dukat. Regardless of this, Alaimo felt that, by portraying the Cardassian, he had "contributed a great deal to the show, and that's good," he remarked. The actor wished the producers would, "at least, let me know that they appreciate my work." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51, 52 & 53)

Upon entering DS9 Season 5, Ira Behr meant for the show's writers to resolve, during the course of the season, the danger of making Dukat seem overly relatable and essentially human. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4) "Yes, it was nice that he was a swashbuckling pirate for a while, this guy who was ready to blow up shiploads of Klingons without batting an eye for revenge," Behr commented. "But I really got concerned, I think we all got concerned, that we were just making him way too benign a character." Behr's worries about overly humanizing the character dated back to the conceptual introduction of Dukat's family in the "The Maquis" two-parter. "From that point on," he continued, "it was only a matter of time before we said, 'Woah! Put the brakes on.'" Behr had a long discussion with Marc Alaimo about the nature of Dukat. ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) "I think we have to find," Behr stated, in an interview, "not the villain, though maybe that as well, but the man who is willing to go places that some of us might not be willing to go. We did that in 'Return to Grace'." Moreover, Behr felt it was important "to keep both sides [of the character] alive," ensuring his identity as basically a killer and military man would be reaffirmed. ("'Indiscretion' Datafile", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 4)

Although Dukat is present in DS9 fifth season opener "Apocalypse Rising", his part in the episode was minimized. "There was [originally] supposed to be a lot more with Dukat," explained Robert Hewitt Wolfe. When the episode was initially planned to be a two-parter, Dukat would have actually featured in most of the first part, taking Sisko, O'Brien and Odo to Ty'Gokor via his captured Bird-of-Prey. The reduction of Dukat's part in the story was made when the narrative became a single installment. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 364)

In DS9: "Things Past", Dukat laments to Jadzia Dax (a character he had never been paired with before) about what a complicated and lonely man he is. "That's how Dukat sees himself," offered Ronald D. Moore. "He wants to be loved. He's the kind of dictator who thinks, 'It's not enough that I put my foot on the throat of the people I'm oppressing, I want them to love me for it.' Dukat believes he's the hero of his own story." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 398)

Dukat's alliance with the Dominion was planned out. Regarding how the writing staff had this goal while plotting fifth season two-parter "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light", Ira Behr noted, "We wanted to put Dukat in bed with the Dominion." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 422) A comment Dukat makes when joining the group in "By Inferno's Light", regarding the dissolution of his friendship with Kira, (specifically, "You and I on the same side. It never seemed quite right, did it?") mirrored the producers' feelings toward Dukat at that time; they never expected him to become one of the show's heroes. His motivation for collaborating with the Dominion was "pure desperation," commented Robert Wolfe. Hence, Dukat was reflecting feelings that had been prevalent in Germany around the start of World War II. "Hitler's reign was a horror story, but there were people who didn't see the alternatives. And Dukat felt he was doing the only thing he could do to save his culture and his people," Wolfe remarked. Though Dukat's attainment of rulership in the Cardassian government might seem slightly abrupt, Wolfe cited some historical precedents, noting, "Hitler's rise [to power] happened pretty quickly, too. So did Caesar's. It was a coup." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 427)

Upon learning Dukat was to switch sides and return to a villainous role in "By Inferno's Light", Marc Alaimo was highly surprised but understood why the character was about to be altered. "I guess it's their way of getting him back into line so that they can develop all the conflict that was coming up with the Dominion," Alaimo supposed. "They don't want to make him that likeable. They need conflict. He's the most obvious for that, because he's so well-known in that aspect of his character." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 44)

Marc Alaimo wasn't entirely pleased with the concept of Dukat resuming his nefarious antics. "I'm not too crazy about becoming the heavy Cardassian," the performer admitted. "There are so many aspects of Dukat, so many different avenues to explore, I think, that to narrow in and make him this evil character negates everything I've tried to do." Alaimo was particularly regretful about the change in Dukat's personality because the writers "gave him a reasonableness, an intelligence, an open-mindedness." He continued, "I always thought that was special for a Cardassian [....] I felt like Dukat opened up different avenues [for the Cardassians]." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 44) The performer elaborated, "I'm not too crazy about the idea of him being an antagonist again, to tell you the truth. I liked [...] that we saw another dimension of him, like being a hero, being a father [....] I don't like playing him heavy at all [....] Just to make him a Nazi [...] seems to be wasting a wonderful opportunity. They've really been able to open up all of these different character aspects of Dukat over the years, and I'd hate to suddenly lose all of that." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

On the other hand, Marc Alaimo meanwhile appreciated the flexibility of playing Dukat. "One minute he's sweet and he's caressing his daughter. The next minute he's off and ranting and raving about getting the Klingons," Alaimo observed. "I like that unpredictability about him. He can go any way." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 44)

When Dukat was left with the Dominion at the end of the fifth season, Ira Behr predicted, "He will stay with the Dominion for the foreseeable future. Not that it will always be comfortable for him, but he doesn't deserve comfort." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) Marc Alaimo thought Dukat's alliance with the Dominion was an example of the character being opportunistic and that Dukat was joining with the Dominion purely because it was convenient for him to do so at that time. Alaimo also hoped Dukat had a plan for dealing with the Dominion and Weyoun, playing Dukat as if he did indeed have a stratagem in mind. "But [Dukat] keeps playing along, and sooner or later I think he's going to turn on these people," Alaimo reckoned. However, Jeffrey Combs suspected Dukat was being used by the Dominion "for his ruthless, aggressive ambition." Alaimo believed that, after five years of playing the part, there was "a lot" of himself in the character. "Because of it, I think it's been good for me as a person to be able to do Dukat," he related. "It's opened me up as a person." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 44, 45 & 61)

At a stage when Marc Alaimo knew only that he would be involved in the first four or five installments of DS9 Season 6, he speculated about Dukat, "They'll probably kill him off." Obviously, that was not what the actor portraying him wanted. Instead, Alaimo hoped the character would prevail. Furthermore, the actor desired for some of the other elements of the character's personality to be explored, including Dukat's heroism, parts of his backstory, and his relationships with such characters as Garak and Kira Nerys. Ira Behr assured viewers, "There hasn't even been talk about killing Dukat. I can never say never, because you never know what's going to happen, but he can rest easy." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 45 & 46)

By the time season six of DS9 began, Marc Alaimo regretted that Dukat hadn't been presented again in much the same way as in "Return to Grace", as basically a pirate opposing the Klingons in a ship of theirs he had commandeered. "I actually wish they'd elaborated on that a little bit more than they did," he expressed. "We really didn't pick up on that again after that episode." ("Cold Warrior?", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12)

During the course of a six-episode Dominion War arc at the beginning of DS9 Season 6, Dukat repeatedly toys with Sisko's baseball as if it will bring him good luck and means a lot to him, such as representing the station and his job of commanding the facility. "We see Dukat playing with the baseball all the time [....] When Dukat is thinking about that, he's concentrating on the things that matter to Sisko," observed Hans Beimler. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 501)

At the end of sixth season offering "Sacrifice of Angels" (which concludes the Dominion War arc), some viewers might think Dukat's insanity was due to Ziyal's death driving him mad (as Dukat himself claims in the teaser of later season six installment "Waltz"). Ira Behr and Hans Beimler were of the opinion, however, that Dukat was already well on his way to losing his mind, Behr proclaiming, "Anyone who could be the head of the Occupation ain't all there." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 494) Elaborated Behr, "I don't know if Dukat was ever totally sane. Is any oppressor sane? [....] If you can kill millions of people, I prefer to think that there has to be a screw loose somewhere." (Cinefantastique, pp. 54 & 59)

In retrospect, René Echevarria once commented that, after appearing in the six-episode arc which commenced DS9's sixth season, Dukat became "a very peripheral villain." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 632) However, a continuation of Dukat's ongoing story seemed inevitable. "After Dukat went crazy," Ron Moore recollected, "it was obvious that there was going to be follow-up. We didn't want to do it right away, because frankly, none of us knew what the next step was for him." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 47) "Waltz" was the writing staff's way of making Dukat face the fact that they deemed him an evil character. "I wanted us to come away from this show with Dukat finally having faced who the hell he is and what he's done," commented Ira Behr. "To get him to finally admit that he hates the Bajorans and he wishes to kill them all. And he does [....] Since he refuses to admit to [his evil deeds] [...] we then have to simplify things, deconstruct things, until we get to the most simplistic level. Which is: 'He does evil things, therefore, he is evil.'" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520)

At first, the writers planned to set much of "Waltz" in Dukat's mind, in a story they called "Dukat's Head". His actual situation, of being in a psychiatric hospital with Sisko outside his cell, was also to have been periodically shown. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520; Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 47) "Dukat's inside [the cell], catatonic, and the camera pushes in on Dukat's face and we go into his mind and see what he's thinking," Moore explained. "It's this fantasy of himself running the station again, being in charge [....] Then the fantasy starts unraveling and we find all these internal demons in his mind." The concept of depicting scenes inside Dukat's head was inspired by third season episode "Distant Voices", most of which is set in Julian Bashir's psyche. Regarding Dukat's mind, Ira Behr noted, "I just thought that would be an interesting place to go." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 520-521) When it became evident to the writing staff that what they were instinctively concentrating on more and found more appealing were the reality scenes, however, Dukat's fantasy was excluded from the episode. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 521; Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 47)

Marc Alaimo discussing a scene from "Waltz" with Rene Auberjonois

Ira Behr was satisfied with how he and the rest of the group managed to deal with Dukat in "Waltz". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520) Ron Moore agreed, "It became a tour de force for Marc Alaimo [....] Most of the scenes are Marc, and Marc has a lot of big dramatic things to do." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 47) Odo actor Rene Auberjonois, who directed "Waltz", admiringly commented, "I loved the fact that Dukat's insanity was written as a 'Roman Polanski' kind of crazy [....] Marc Alaimo really had a handle on it. He was in touch with where it was coming from in his own psychology and where it was going. And that's the way a good actor plays a villain, by finding ways to rationalize what he's doing." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 521)

The writers briefly considered having Dukat, the next time he appeared after "Waltz", be accompanied by hallucinatory figures who appear in that episode, though the idea was dropped. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 522)

Developing Dukat remained important to DS9's in-house writers. "[After] 'Waltz' we were looking for something that would, in an unexpected way, begin to show where Dukat's head was at," said Ira Behr. "We thought that ['Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night'] was the perfect way to do it." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 53) Behr believed Dukat is referenced in the episode's title. After asking what the title might allude to, he continued, "It would have to be Dukat, because he is a wrong darker than death or night." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 549)

When DS9 sixth season ender "Tears of the Prophets" was at a very early stage of development, the DS9 writing staff imagined Dukat stealing a ship, and then stealing an orb. Taking the artifact into the wormhole, Dukat next set a detonation to blow up the Prophets. In a subsequent first draft of the script (when it was called "Tears of the Gods"), Dukat was stopped by Jadzia Dax, though she herself was killed by a phaser blast. Dukat's actions in this version of the script seemed to have a "clunkiness" about them. "Dukat had to get a shuttle, a chroniton generator, an Orb," listed René Echevarria, ticking off the objectives on one hand. Eventually, Ron Moore suggested, "Wouldn't it be much simpler if all Dukat has to do is help the Pah-wraiths get into the wormhole?" Thereafter, deciding exactly how to write Dukat into the narrative became simply "a matter of asking the right questions," continued Echevarria. These questions involved the writers pondering what would happen if Dukat procured a Bajoran artifact or allowed a Pah-wraith to inhabit his body. The writers chose to lead him down such a path, observing that doing so tracked well with what they had established in earlier season six installment "The Reckoning". "And there was something nice about having Gul Dukat, the butcher, be the guy who's suddenly into the Bajoran religion and who learns which little statuette to crack open to get a Pah-wraith to fly up his nose," Ira Behr commented, grinning. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 587, 588 & 586)

By the end of season six, Ira Behr knew Dukat would "continue to make his presence felt right up until the closing chapter of this little saga," he said, referring to the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 59) As the last installments of the series weren't planned at the beginning of the seventh and final season, however, there were times when the DS9 staff writers asked each other what they wanted to do with Dukat. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 591)

By the time season seven offering "Covenant" started to be written, the show's writing staff were aware of Dukat having seemingly receded into the background. "We felt we'd lost Dukat [....] Now he had no role to play," explained René Echevarria. As a result, the writers intentionally started creating a new role for him, one that would again make him the series' main villain. Dukat was brought back to the ongoing narrative of DS9 in "Covenant", though the writers were simultaneously unsure how to bring an end to the story of his life in the series. "I always knew that the ultimate challenge would be Dukat, and not the war," admitted Ira Behr. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 632)

After René Echevarria suggested making Dukat the leader of the Bajoran Cult of the Pah-wraiths in "Covenant", the prospect of developing Dukat in that way appealed to the DS9 staff writers. "It gave us a chance to ask ourselves, 'What is Dukat's craziness, and how is it manifesting itself now?'" remembered Bradley Thompson. "We could touch base with him and show that he's really getting hooked into these Pah-wraiths." Such an exploration of the character would, the writers decided, help them to set up the conclusion of Dukat's character arc. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 632)

In the first draft of "Covenant", Dukat was portrayed as being secretly insincere about his alleged belief and faith in the Pah-wraiths. "He wanted to use the fact that he had been touched by a Pagh-wraith to bring some Bajorans into his life and recreate a fantasy world where he was in charge of Bajorans again," René Echevarria said, recalling the initial draft. Deciding that Dukat was indeed a true believer, however, was a major discovery for Echevarria. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 50) "That wasn't clear in the first draft, not even to me," Echevarria admitted. "But then I came up with the idea of having him pray alone. He's not performing for anybody. In his own twisted, self-aggrandizing way, he genuinely would prefer to send these people to their makers with their faith intact then allow it all to fall apart." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 633) Echevarria elaborated, "He still has a dark twisted soul, and twisted, love-hate relationship with the Bajorans. At the end, when he is sending them to their maker, a part of him is sincere. On the other level, of course, there is some dark need of his to continue to punish these people. I hope that that decision to make him sincere really pays off. On some level he is." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 50)

Representing Dukat as the leader of the Cult of the Pah-wraiths was done with "a very theatrical approach," in the words of Kris Krosskove, who served as the cinematographer of "Covenant". This is probably most evident in the episode's first shot of Dukat, from the installment's teaser. Krosskove noted, "He's in black with a very strong backlight." Not only was Dukat highlighted, in this footage, with a spotlight shining straight down on him but he also appears to be crowned with a halo, an effect produced by showing an overexposed circle from Bajoran symbol above the top of his head. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 633)

The writing staff of DS9 wanted to further complicate Dukat's character arc as the series drew to a close, starting by showing him disguised as a Bajoran in the episode "Penumbra", the first installment of a nine-episode, series-concluding arc. "Turning him into a Bajoran made sense [....] He had to have the surgery," René Echevarria posited. Ira Behr concurred, "The story dictated it. The way Dukat was going, getting involved with Bajoran religion, the next step would be to go to Bajor." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 686)

In "When It Rains...", the writers blinded Dukat and sent him begging in the streets of Bajor because they essentially ran out of story for him, with nowhere to take the character for the subsequent three episodes, and therefore wanted to deflect attention from his activities. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 687 & 690) "I came up with the idea of blinding Dukat," René Echevarria announced. "Now, truth be told, I didn't really have a specific intention when I wrote that, but I can justify it after the fact." Echevarria went on to theorize that Dukat, required by the Pah-wraiths to enter the Fire Caves and die there so they could make use of his body, had been blinded because the Pah-wraiths wanted to prevent from reading particular text in the Book of the Kosst Amojan. "If he had read in the book, 'You will be killed and reborn,' he might not have gone for it," Echevarria speculated. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 690)

Marc Alaimo sensed Dukat was at least generally accepted while the actor was playing him. During DS9's second season, the actor stated, "Now that I've been doing Dukat on a fairly regular basis, he has become an established character that people know and recognize." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, issue 6, p. 51) Indeed, fans in various parts of the world showed enormous interest in Dukat. At around the end of DS9 Season 4, Alaimo noted, "We all want to be liked, and I know that this character is liked. I get it from them. It's the first time it's ever happened to me." Alaimo additionally suspected that the DS9 producers didn't want to make him aware of how popular Dukat was. "They don't want to give me that satisfaction, because then in negotiations it would give me power, I suppose," Alaimo hypothesized. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53) He additionally supposed, "Dukat is one of these characters that a lot of people wish they could be." The actor thought Dukat specifically fascinated people because he had power which the character was unafraid to use as well as charm and other attributes. "We all feel that way," he noted. Alaimo liked being appreciated for his performances as Dukat. "I see so many people like him, and it's me. I'm doing him, so it all comes back to me, and it's good for me," he analyzed. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, p. 45)

Marc Alaimo believed Dukat's popularity was evident to the DS9 producers. "They know that the fans like Dukat. They're well aware of it. There's all sorts of fan mail coming in. So they've got to know that he's a very well-liked character," the performer reasoned. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 53) The team of DS9's writer-producers were indeed aware Dukat had become an extremely popular character. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520) René Echevarria referred to Dukat as an individual who was "well liked by the audience." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 632) Ira Steven Behr said about the fan response to Dukat, "I know that there are women fans who still want to bear his child, but to me that's the whole thing where you want to marry the serial killer. You want to have sex with Gul Dukat? It's all the same thing." ("The Producer's View", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 12) However, Behr was somewhat irritated by how fandom seemed to whitewash Dukat to a certain extent. "The fact that Dukat has become such a popular character, and I've read things on the Internet where people actually talk about the fact that 'only five million Bajorans were killed during the Occupation – that's not such a big deal.' It's just so..." Behr sighed and didn't continue his sentence. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 520)

In the Millennium series, which begins shortly before Dukat released the Pah-Wraith that drove him to Deep Space 9 where he killed Jadzia and briefly closed the wormhole, Dukat's discovery of Sisko's apparent death with the creation of the Pah-wraith wormhole drove him to once again create the Cult of the Pah-wraiths on Empok Nor (now relocated to DS9's original position), becoming one with Kosst Amojan. Regarding himself as the Pah-wraith Emissary, Dukat developed a vendetta against Weyoun, who had proclaimed himself the Emissary of the True Prophets and sought to end the universe by combining the two wormholes. When the Defiant reappeared, Dukat briefly confronted Sisko and Weyoun after luring the two into the mirror universe, but, when this attempt to kill them failed, Dukat returned to our reality and managed to capture O'Brien, Quark, Rom and Garak. With these prisoners/crew, Dukat forced them to take an advanced Klingon ship to follow Weyoun and the Defiant into the wormholes before the end of the universe. Having been easily knocked out by his former "prisoners" after freeing them from their Pah-Wraith induced Hells, Dukat was no longer empowered by the Pah-Wraiths as their "conflict" with the Prophets was now over. Dukat subsequently managed to escape to a past version of Deep Space 9, where he committed a murder that Odo had been investigating prior to the destruction of the station. In a somewhat ironic twist (given that his alternate past self would go on to kill her), after the crew prevented the red wormhole from ever opening, Dukat was shot in the back by Dax when he was distracted.